The Stars Look Very Different Today
by activerequiem
Summary: Jane is the Commander of a spaceship. Maura is the doctor with a difference.
1. Chapter 1

"I don't see why you feel the need to do this Jane! Taking your brothers, too! It panicked me enough with your last little 'trip', let alone having to wave you goodbye on an expedition I _know_ is dangerous. I've heard the chatter, Jane – don't go trying to tell me otherwise! There are monsters out there! Hoards of them! All of them quite happy and willing to take a bite of-"

The loading docks of the Citadel held hundreds of ships, each of those ships holding hundreds of personnel or passengers, depending on its capacity. On a day like this that meant thousands of mouths whispering goodbyes to loved ones, shouting instructions to staff, whistling songs to while away the time all accompanied by double the amount of feet that there were tongues; shuffling, marching, running, bounding... Yet with her boots firmly on the ground Jane Rizzoli could hear nothing but the dramatic howls of her mother above the din of crowds that she usually cherished, getting a word in edgeways a much more difficult task than escaping any of the 'monsters' that her matriarch was moaning on about.

"Ma. Ma..._MA_, listen to me before you explode like a supernova..."

Being able to intimidate her foes and being able to be the dominant figure in any situation was what Commander Rizzoli was good for, hell it was what she was renowned for. Able to quite literally stand tall in a field of men, with charcoaled eyes that constantly dared her opponents to flinch or look away as they were held captivated by the darkened depths, even without a weapon she was a woman to fear. Through The Great War the name Rizzoli had come to mean more than that of a mere Alliance trooper, rising through the ranks all thanks to her wit, cunning and a gut that even the most straight-laced of civilians wanted to follow if it meant their asses being saved. Ordinarily her tongue lashings were on par with her shooting skills, but this was Angela Rizzoli she was face to... Bust with, the woman who despite her growing fears had unwillingly – or perhaps more to the point unknowingly - taught her only daughter to be the thrill seeking, authority hating, stubbornly sassy woman that stood before her. A force to be reckoned with, trying to get her mother to understand the reasons behind her job was always about as useful as shooting a gun in a vacuum, but Jane had never been the sort to choose the easy option...

"Oh! And those too! Such a traitorous path you're taking, Janie..."

Arms frenzying in front of her face the younger of the two women decided to stick with her usual motto, hoping that in this instance action would speak louder than words. It seemed to work, the brazen woman below her usual eyeline stooping backwards just a little bit, hushed by witnessing her oldest child reduce herself to childish tactics. "Shhh! Ma, if I listened to the chatter you did – which for the record doesn't count when it's old... _Middle aged_ women discussing tabloids over tea – then I'd never fart for fear of shi—Look, we're gunna be fine. We've got everything mapped out, with big red circles around the possible dangers. What, do you want me to draw a skull and cross bones over each of'em as well?"

Not missing a beat, the head of the household scoffed in reply to the sarcasm that her daughter so persistently used in what she deemed to be a very important conversation, arms folding stoutly across her chest and her face contorting into a look not all that dissimilar to a bulldog chewing a wasp. "Don't go trying to be smart, Jane. Can't a mother worry about her daughter, and the two sons that she happens to be dragging along into danger?"

"Hey! I'm not dragging anyone!" Unable to fight against the strewn sentences of her mother any longer arms that had previously fought to help her now flopped in retreat to her sides, bated breath instead surrendering to a sigh. "Frankie is a damn good pilot, Ma, and it turns out Tommy actually learnt somethin' whilst in the slammer, which _I _got him out of, may I remind you. We make a good team, and with them onboard we'll be back in the Citadel before you know it."

'Citadel' was never a word which sat comfortably on the brunette's tongue. Far too formal and fancy a word for her taste, Jane would often refer to it instead as 'the hive' when it was time to give her younger brother a destination to return to, or better yet plain old _Boston_. Before that big final dump had hit the fan – after Obama had signed peace treaties with alien beings that were eventually broken, once Britain had become the fifty-first state, and before the first female President's fifth and final term had finished off with a headshot that had lead to interspecies war - the land she now stood upon had been home to generations of Rizzoli's, thoroughbred Italians mingling with American blood. With Europe having been quarantined since the well lived woman was a young child, all that shined through of her heritage was the olive tone of her skin, and chiselled features that were once only seen in the museums of Italy. That was, until bombs fell and reduced them to rubble...

Boston was her homeland, memories of the city clear and vivid in her mind, still able to picture each of the twenty-three neighbourhoods - weathered and battered with vintage charm – the main manufacturing centre for anything and everything the Alliance needed in the early days of battles that came to be massacres; concrete and corrugated metal warehouses full of worker bees creating honey, until the entirety of New England had been transformed into the sixteenth Citadel of the country, practically overnight. Knowing that coliseums built by her own bloodline could be reduced to nothing by laser beams shot from the sky, once Europe fell into the hands of the enemy America made the choice to tear down any infrastructure more than three centuries old; cities forging into sectors, each with a bright and shining centre for each civilian to call home. Warehouses became strengthened towers protected by force fields; depots suddenly came with security that meant retinal scans instead of just swiping your I.D. _All for the good of Sector Sixteen._ No matter how much they polished, no matter how much they made the buildings gleam with a metaphorical hope, Jane missed the simplicity of the streets she had been free to run around in during the very few innocent years of life she had once had. The place where her ship docked was, and forever would be Boston, Massachusetts.

Where the hell else would she park a crimson spaceship called 'Sox'?

Belonging to an Alliance Captain of thirty three years, Vince Korsak, the TAMAR-0 model transport ship was the ex-female soldier's second home, complete with a family on board, (and with only half of it linked to her by blood). Just a few years back the vessel had been in a state of disrepair; a hunk of junk after being shot down from the sky, nothing but mangled metal and shredded shrapnel. That same year the grey haired Captain had found himself unfairly dismissed from the Alliance alongside Jane, a woman who had basically become his protégé, and a technological wizkid by the name of Barry Frost – Jane's partner in the field, and long time friend to them both. Early retirement had never been factored into Korsak's plans - at least not through being pushed – fighting for the safety of civilians being his life's work and purpose, but with the crash landing of the ship suddenly picking a fight with the Fairfields and losing seemed to have a silver lining. With a headstrong no nonsense Commander to lead the way (with his guidance to keep one foot on the ground), a quick witted cyber genius to gain all the intelligence they would ever need, and two kids on the sidelines he knew would jump at the chance to tune up and fly the boat, the aged man began to picture a future full of star gazing instead of bloodshed. From then onwards the only red he wanted to see by choice was the colour sprayed across his ship; a shade that rivalled comets that streaked through the sky and lead to it being christened a name Jane wouldn't budge on, no matter how hard he tried. He supposed it was only fair considering he had chosen to recruit both of her brothers, eventually wearing down the scowling sister's arguments by promising to never employ her mother – no matter how much he favoured her cooking.

Ignoring the constant bickering and sibling rivalry between the Rizzoli children soon it was clear that Sox had the best damn crew in the sector, even if they were now given the stigma of being 'rebels'. Frankie continued to prove himself as an excellent pilot, previously a wasted talent working alongside his father flying cargo ships to neighbouring Citadels. Tommy - forever branded the trouble maker - was given a second chance after serving time for operating a ship under the influence, put to good use in the engine room thanks to the mechanics skills he had learnt whilst incarcerated. What had once wallowed like a whale now snarled through the skies like a shark – mostly thanks to the infants Angela had raised. Whilst she was perfectly aware of this, and even though what Jane said was the truth, it would do nothing to settle the elder Rizzoli's fears. Her stomach was in knots similar to that of wringed laundry as she resigned herself to emotional defeat, far too tired to continue with her attack of worrisome words. Angela's sigh matched the previous exhale of her daughter, taking a moment of silence before enveloping her 'baby girl' in a hug that was very stiffly received "Mmm, well as long as you make me the same promise as Frankie and Tommy. You look after each other, or you'll have me to answer to. Now go, before I get teary."

"I... Promise and I would but Ma... You're kinda squashing me a little..." wriggling enough to prise her torso from a hug so full of love it was beginning to physically hurt, Jane finally reciprocated the affection with a squeeze to her mother's forearm, a smile forming that lit up her eyes as if she were standing beneath a constellation, each star reflecting in her dark hues – something to look forward to in the trip ahead of her. Sharing a look that said words that would surely damage her reputation if spoken out loud within the crowd, Jane's dark locks curled to frame her face as she nodded gently before leaving her mother for the docking station of her pride and joy, choosing not to look back as her overbearing mother spoiled the sentimental goodbye.

"And no rough housing with your brothers! Bloody noses don't look pretty, Jane! You never know who you're going to meet out there!"

Brow furrowing in disbelief the previous nod of her head became a shake. Really she should have known by then that her mom would use any available opportunity to make a quip about her love life, it being her favourite pastime after mollycoddling Tommy, pretty much equal with relentlessly reminding Jane that she was a _woman_, and perhaps she could choose suits with a cut that emphasised that, or at least tried a little pink. Though missing how old school Boston had once been, she couldn't help but wish her primary parent would let go of archaic stereotypes, or at least drag her head out of the fairytales that seemed to dance in her brain - complete with wings, wands and tiaras that she would be sure to stick Jane in during her youth if the tomboy hadn't constantly chosen to hide in trees beyond the robust woman's reach.

"Yeah, searching for alternative fuels is _really_ going to lead me into the path of Prince Charming..."

"The cargo ship, christened 'Prince Charming' for the owner's daughter and her love of fairy tales currently resides in sector thirteen, Commander. I highly doubt that whilst looking for our fuel source we'll cross routes with the crew."

Rhetorical words that Jane assumed only she would hear thanks to her naturally gravel filled voice (a note lower than usual) received an answer, the Commander having been so focused on getting away from the clutches of the Rizzoli mother-hen that she hadn't expected anyone to greet her at the entrance. Knowing that Frankie would already be at the helm with Korsak at his side, that Tommy would be tinkering and that Frost would be doing last minute checks Jane assumed that as always she would be the last to board. Instead she found herself next to a buxom blonde – no, those locks were closer to caramel (something she hadn't tasted since sugar rationing started in 2115), curves accentuated in a foam latex suit similar to her own albeit in a shade the Commander believed she remembered to be forest green, a contrast to her own steel grey apparel. Never had she seen standard issue material look so... So...

"If I recall the information correctly there are about thirty different spaceships in our sector with names referencing fairy tales, a favourite of mine being 'Mirror Mirror'. The majority have names taken from loved ones – parents, husbands, wives. Only one was christened after a centuries old sports team, though."

Women around her just didn't want to keep their mouths closed today, Jane decided, although she was not irritated by this newcomer as much as she was curious. Though the Citadel was a big place, heaving with masses of different workers each day, the Commander could usually find a place in her memory for each face, if not always for their names. It had become her job since being dismissed from the Alliance to know the ins and outs of the sector, knowledge being power when it came to being the head of a somewhat... Rebellious crew. Yet this woman was as filled with knowledge as Jane herself was filled with cynicism, and the war hero was pretty sure if they'd of already met, she would have remembered.

"Yeah, well 'Bambi' was taken and 'Mufasa' just makes everyone giggle," with a quirk of one seemingly perfectly sculptured eyebrow the joke (complete with elongated vowels and a hissed 's', Jane would add) completely bypassed the brain-box's funny bone, the taller of the two women alone in her creased smile "Huh, clearly you've not delved into the Disney archives then."

"Well, no." Very matter-of-factly the fairer haired woman's eyes seemed to be the perfect accessories to the colour of her uniform, unwavering as she responded "Since Disney was banned for the subliminal messages in their animation in April of 2106 it's generally assumed that no one has. It's generally frowned upon, Commander. That, and I don't often understand pop culture references. They all seems rather trivial to me."

Who the hell was this woman? Putting together the pieces as her mind tried to maintain interest in the conversation Jane's eyes fell to the shoulders of who she suddenly realised to be the newest member of her crew. Just as black ranking strips gave away her position, a small well placed 'x' caused Jane to realise that the walking, talking fact machine was actually a doctor – probably who Korsak had chosen to replace Doctor Pike after a small reckless flight including the bespectacled man, an asteroid field and some stained briefs has caused him to resign from his position. Suddenly he wasn't so anal-retentive, words from his dossier file that Jane hadn't really understood until a joke needed to be made. Taking his leave because he couldn't work with such 'irresponsible amateurs', she was glad to be rid of the shit from both his mouth and his pants, Pike now quite literally a party-pooper.

Requesting that her silver haired mentor find a replacement for Pike that could keep their intestines _inside_ (each sick bucket already having the word **'FROST'** imprinted clearly on the outside), Jane would never have imagined Korsak would pick a woman who looked so damn dainty. Not that Jane could judge her purely by gender, herself a prime example of men _still_ looking down their noses and assuming women were always a rank below anything with a penis. At least she looked the part though, this doctor all tits and teeth and... Oh boy, Tommy was going to love her... With the ship almost ready for launch she had to get the measure of the doctor, and fast "So, let me get this straight. You can give me information on over fifty ships, give me exact black listing dates, yet can't appreciate a quote from a talking lion? You've got to know Disney is a rite of passage, it's been around for _years."_

"Two-hundred-and-ten, to be exact." Barely giving her new authority figure time to blink the numbers spun from the medical recruit's tongue, head cocked in an expression that could only be described as coy as she watched Jane's reaction with great interest. Registering a look of both shock and appraisal the military figure seemed to be out of her depth, eyes widening to match the small circle that her open mouth had formed as her brain searched for a reply to an answer she hadn't actually asked, unsure of how to manage anything without sounding like a complete ass. Hell, she was discussing Disney with a doctor who had a noggin' faster than Jane's own trigger finger and curves that women paid for. What could you say?

"You'd tell me if you were a cyborg, right?" Laughter followed the faux query, the awkward humour almost cringe worthy as Jane found her tweak of a smile a lone action, her colleague's features remaining set like porcelain for what seemed the longest of moments. Then, snapping whatever sense the Commander had left within her skull, the laughter came – sweet, gentle, genuine and above all else clearly _entertained_ laughter.

"If it were in my capacity to tell lies then no, I don't think I would. That sentence itself should answer your question, Commander, although I prefer the term artificial intelligence. I thought that Captain Korsak would have mentioned me by now. I'm your Medical Analysis Unit Repair Android, _Maura_."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for those that read the first chapter! Sorry I'm not the fastest of writers (procrastination is a hobby, I swear) but I hope this is somewhat worth the wait. This isn't beta'd, and if I read my own work too often I just delete it so sorry for any mistakes!

"You bought a _bot,_ Korsak? Really?"

If facial expressions came with captions then in that moment the pepper haired man's would have read '_oh boy_', chest tightening as a short, sharp breath pinched his lips together and locked the muscles of his back, Korsak taking a moment to prepare himself before spinning in his chair to face his newly arrived interrogator. Though her senior by more than twenty years and fully respected by Jane there was always something about the clip of the female Rizzoli's tongue that could reduce him to the feeling of being a scallywag prepubescent, causing him to reminisce of the ways when fathers twice his height and rank wanted to know of his intentions with their darling daughters. Even though he was now an old man - twice the robust size of those awkward days and at equal status with the patriarchs of former smooches – it never stopped him from momentarily feeling as if his stomach had left him, dropping away like lost cargo out in space, fleetingly regretting his decision to look into the dark eyes of the woman who always got her answers from the most resilient of alien enemies.

"Android, Commander. A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. An android such as myself, on the other hand, is a synthetic organism designed to look and act like a human, and with a body that has a flesh-like resemblance. Though android is used almost universally to refer to both sexes, and those of no particular sex, android technically refers to the male form, while gynoid is the feminine form. I personally don't like how gynoid sounds when it rolls from the tongue, although I _do_ prefer it to the word fembot."

Finger up, quite literally pointing out her correction, Korsak's insides felt secure once more as he allowed his eyes a daring second to look at the faux-woman that followed behind his protégé. Maura – the name she'd used to introduced herself with, with a bright smile that shone like a soul was behind it rather than a power outlet, and a handshake as gentle and as graceful as a real lady's - was exactly what they needed onboard; she had poise, she had elegance, and naturally her system protocols meant she was a brainbot, too. A real class act and perhaps someone they could _all_ learn a thing or two from. Living in and trying to survive in the wreckage of the Great War naturally left you in a kind of slump, and although life was never boring Korsak hoped that Maura could maybe... Shake things up a little when it came to their human interactions, so to speak. The proof was in the rationed pudding, Jane's eyes having lightened only as the orbs widened to allow more light to reflect on them, the dumbfounded look apparently now her default setting when around Maura and her encyclopaedic spurts of knowledge.

"Android, bot, iHuman, whatever," flabberghasted beyond the point of being able to give a logical answer the on edge Italian kept her eyes forward, though her thoughts struggled to point in one direction. An exasperated sigh left her lips, the robotic being behind her noting that it was tinged with a more than just a hint of hostility as an accusation followed "You know how I feel about them, Korsak."

Watching with great intrigue Maura could not help but wonder the emotions her sensory input would have been registering should she have been as human as the rest of the crew. Whilst she understood the logistics of feelings they were not something she experienced, although there were a few she had learnt to mimic. It was in her nature to be curious, to continuously want to learn, and being programmed to help those in need called for compassion to show in a great degree, even if witnessing wounded children did not literally make her cyberkinetic heart swell. If there could be any android in the world capable of learning to feel with more than the fibre optic nerves of her fingertips it would be Maura, although not knowing of her past it seemed Jane would only take her at face value until she - or Korsak, taking his own breath of hesitance – convinced her otherwise.

"I know Jane, but we needed a replacement and fast. I've had her certified, everything checks out. Maura's a legit medical android; bought her from a beyond borders guy in exchange for some rations. English, a decent guy. Figured he wouldn't have corrupted her unit for anything-"

"A bot can be corrupted in more ways than one, Korsak." Listening although not interfering, and knowing better than to get involved with disputes between his sister and well... Just about _anyone_, the comment was not one that pilot Frankie Jr could let slide past, head crooked over his shoulder as his fingers stopped their task of readying the launch, one arched eyebrow and a quirk to his lips saying more than any crude description could, clearly grossing out his sibling as Jane's brow pinched as if she were ready to be sick.

"Ew, Frankie. Why would you say that?" Attention averted from Korsak - whose wide eyes were also on the male Rizzoli thanks to his quip and where it prompted his brain to wander to– Jane's voice hit notes higher than Maura had previously heard, noting both disapproval and disgust. Since the moment they had walked up the gangway into the ship all small talk had ceased, her truthful reveal having left her momentarily alone as the woman she now answered to had gone to challenge just why she was there, and since that moment Maura had been nothing but ignored. Surely if she were human this would be the time to be angered, or at the least dissatisfied with being spoken about, and not to, not to mention being regarded as something to perform sex acts. Taking into consideration Jane's clear friction around her the medic concluded that yes, this would most definitely be a time to be annoyed – a display of emotion she very rarely had to put into practice in the past.

"Doctor Falkner used me for nothing but professional work in the Outlands," what had fallen to face pulling between siblings was interrupted by a soft and polite tone curbed with an air of bossiness as the smallest being in the room sought to fight her case "Refugees required help and we gave it. Nothing more and nothing less, Frankie." Finally receiving the attention she considered herself worthy of Maura chose to continue "Commander, your earlier comment makes me want to question whether you corrugator supercilii is contorting in distaste because of the idea of Ian having had sex with me – which did not happen – or my kind in general. Or, perhaps both?" If Maura had known better she would have not thought to ask such a question for the mere fact she would not get an answer, at least not one of a verbal form. Each pair of eyes lost focus; Frankie's returning to his original task, Korsak's finding interest in the scuffs of his boots, Jane's... Well, the look in her Commander's eyes left the curious unit finding flaws in her previous thesis of what emotion to display. Built to fix those who were torn, bruised, cut and harmed in the worst of ways Maura was yet to know that Jane Rizzoli would be one of her worst cases, the haunted look which wavered in her ordinarily crisp and determined eyes only a glimpse at what kept her awake at night, left with a similar silence to that which now thickened throughout the flight deck.

It was ironically Frost who chose to break the chill of silence, listening into the conversation whilst checking flight paths on the screen just beside a tense-shouldered Frankie. "I ran every diagnostic and background check I could, Jane. The guy is as clean as we are, and I don't see any problem with that," having known her for years as both a friend and colleague the technical genius knew that the softly softly approach wouldn't work with Jane, her brain needing something to focus on in order to yank her from the rut her brain liked to stick her in. "He uses a few false names to get by, sideswipes some Alliance medical ships now and then to get drugs to those that aren't usually reached..." Talking business seemed to do the trick, lashes sweeping away and distant horrors as the taller woman's eyes closed for a brief second, opening again in rhythm with a short exhale that Maura noted to be similar to a war victim determined to fight through a painful injury – something she had seen plenty of times during her work with the man Frost was reassuring Jane of. The Beyond Borders project was not strictly speaking legal in its practice but had participants within its core who had their hearts in the right place – including Ian Falkner.

Previously a doctor for the Alliance the liberal Englishman had resigned from his position upon learning that the people he had aligned himself with did nothing to help the war torn victims beyond the reach of the Citadels, and had Maura built to help with his cause. He had, with the help of the team that had created her, taught the medical android everything she knew, and most importantly (so Korsak thought) had factored her mechanisms with a programme that meant Maura could not lie, even if she were coerced to try to. In the rebellions of the Outlands it lead to a sense of security, knowing that a woman who shined as brightly as those within the Citadels could tell them nothing but the truth – although Ian sometimes regretted the addition when Maura would take sarcastic questions of 'I want to kill myself, what's the best way?' and answer with 'Atlanto-occipital disarticulation is very fast'. Besides that he couldn't fault her, though had found himself having to sell his companion through the need of money for had understood with ease, and soon found herself in the care of Korsak, the man who had risen from his seat in a hope of finally convincing his younger colleague that his purchase was well thought through.

"Jane, you know that if I thought for a second that she could end up like _his_ robots then she wouldn't be here." "Yeah, yeah. I know," posture finally slacking the taller female on the deck patted her senior's arm in confirmation of her comfort, although all the human beings on board knew that her next words only came from necessity and not thanks to actual approval – all proven by the strain of a smile offered to the newest flight member as Jane turned her attention back to the caramel blonde that seemed set to make her brain implode and dribble from her ears "Fine, as long as you don't drain half the ships power then welcome aboard, doc."

Wondering who _he_ might be Maura poised her lips to ask, then remembered just how well her previous questioning had worked out, and did not want to upset her new cohort given the fact that she had only just agreed to have her onboard. Instead Maura put into work what she did best and focused on the facts "My power source is internal, Commander. Thermonuclear fusion inputs are a necessary for my maintenance, though," Jane's brain was definitely pooling within her eat canal "My system requires that I be in starlight in order to function. I will be fine until we reach our destination."

"And if not we'll just crack open a window!" Smirking at her own joke the twinge of satisfaction soon left her as her words fell flat, Jane knowing instantly that this was one of her infamous moments of speaking before her brain kicked into gear. Maura on the other hand classified the comment as the use of a defence mechanism, sarcasm something she would surely get used to with time should the Commander give her the chance. Well, at least she hoped it to be sarcasm, as surely Jane would never imply her to be like a dog – robotic or otherwise? Unless she meant to imply that Maura was a bitch, of which she had no evidence. Though, perhaps her time with Ian did make her somewhat of a companion, and therefore man's best friend which—

"Jane, don't be rude. Maura, if you ever need any help with your maintenance y'know I could-"

"I'm gunna pretend you didn't say that, Tommy."

"What? I was only offering to help out. Why has everything got to sound wrong to you?"

"Perhaps 'cos what I'm hearin' is words from your mouth?"

An onslaught of accented words broke the android's process of thought, yet another Rizzoli having joined them – this time the youngest sibling wading in on the current interest of Maura. Closer in frame to his sister rather than his older brother the similarities between the siblings could not go unnoticed, which Maura deemed were probably the reasons as to why the bickering between them happened so naturally. It was clear that Frankie knew how to annoy his sister, the type to poke fun at any situation that he could. Tommy and Jane on the other hand seemed to be at odds no matter what, and if she were to converse with Frost or Korsak on the matter she could learn that the two rubbed each other up the wrong way for the most petty of reasons. Jane wanted to keep Tommy on the straight and narrow, and he in return wished to prove himself to his big sister – both of them after the same goal yet never managing to see it.

"Thank you for the concern, but I am quite capable of maintaining my own circuitry." From the moment the rather scuffed up young Rizzoli entered the deck he and Jane had inched closer together as their words escalated, Maura smack-bang in the middle. It was only when they were both near enough toe to toe with the android that she chose to acknowledge his original offer and soon found that pulling gormless faces around her seemed to be a hereditary factor.

"Wow. Now you can't just say it's the stuff I say."

Taking on the middle-child role of mediator it was once more Frankie's turn to chip in, pushing in his words quickly as his sister's lips parted to rifle off another few shots at their brother "Alright, alright. Now we're all _maintained_, how about we get goin'? Someone else is going to cash in on those fuel cells if we don't get a move on."

It was enough to cease the arguments for a while, the pilot speaking a truth that they all knew and adhered to. The Great War had left the word scarce of the energy sources it once knew; electricity at first rationed and then prohibited after the first invasion left buildings and bodies charred, now only to be used with a specific permit (which only those such as the Garrets owned) and under specific regulations. Conversion to thermonuclear power was common, although difficult and only seemed to work for smaller based units that ran internally – Maura, for example. What kept her alive could however not work for the thousands of homes that were regularly left in the dark, tens of thousands of humans living in cold and bleak conditions when shortages were high – the time when Commander Rizzoli and her crew stepped in to help.

Just as the Alliance ignored the Outlands they also did very little for those within the Citadel. Naturally and much to Jane's chagrin the high and mighty brass-kissers got their share of power first, the bright and shining lights always working for those with old money families, leaving homes such as the neighbourhood where Jane resided left in the shadows. It was not something she or her crew could stand for, and much like Ian Falkner they were the voices for the underdogs, Sox quite literally a red flag streaking through the sky to prove that the 'little people' counted. Travelling into the far points of the sector they hoped to recover a source of helium -3, currently harboured by a rebel crew. Well, that was what each Rizzoli and told their mother. They had omitted the fact that the 'rebel crew' were not exactly like them or the type to share – quite the opposite in fact. Classed as a more vicious force of 'raiders' they were the kinds to hold scientists hostage at laser point to do the work for them, and word in the Citadel was that they had stolen the helium -3 from an excavation team after the fallout of the Moon Massacre.

Frost, Korsak and Jane with years of Alliance training under their collective belts, a skilled getaway pilot Jane was proud to call her brother, and a mechanic willing to risk his life for a family both of blood and water the crew of the scarlet ship took it upon themselves to return the energy sources to the Alliance so long as the authority figures turned a blind eye to their ways and means of doing so and paid them a decent price for each delivery. Each time they could have earnt more if they gave the full amount but it had always been a team rule that half of whatever they regained went to Rondo (a man with a taste for candy who regularly stated that since the sugar rationing Jane - aka Vanilla - was the _sweetest_ thing in his life) an 'associate' who although a great aggravation for the Commander constantly meant well, helping to supply helium -3 to those in the darkness and regain a small glimmer of hope for the families that meant so little to their Government.

Readying themselves to find the flickers of faith that were rumoured to be kept deep in the borders of the sector sixteen space the crew took their positions; Frankie joined at the flight panel by Frost checking co-ordinates and airspace traffic, Korsak returning to his original seat and reading himself for something that always made him feel queasy (though he would never admit to it) and Tommy taking up his usual, renegade pose of standing firm, one hand grasped around the rafters in what Jane always called his 'hard-man pose'. The woman herself was all about ready to take her own seat, eyeing for the second female aboard to do the same until Frankie's untimely launch prevented her doing so – the engines roaring into life, the bow of the ship leaving its station with a jolt that left Jane's ass on a much harsher surface, followed by her back, shoulders, a slight crack of her head, and then finally... _Maura_.

Perhaps the crew had forgotten how new she was to the ship, Maura unsettled by just how quickly everything happened. Yes, she had been aboard vessels such as this before but the preparation had been more logical, practical and well... Less reckless! Having lost her balance from the moment the craft departed from the Citadel docks, not heavy and weighted as most humans presumed her metal made her naturally Maura had grasped onto the first thing available to steady herself, and unfortunately that 'thing' was Jane. Expecting a scream or a scowl instead the android found herself looking into mystified eyes – not as baffled or as gobsmacked as per her usual reaction to Maura, instead full of genuine confusion that made the android sure guts she did not possess were stirring uncomfortably. It was disconcerting – she was sure that was the word – and in that moment the android was oddly sure she would rather that her Commander be angry with her that to look at her in such a way.

"Are you okay, Commander?" natural automation kicked in, though the hesitance after looking into Jane's eyes would be something that perhaps Ian would have questioned, Maura's medical programming meaning she should have asked instantaneously. Not happy with the mere nod she received, Jane's raven black waves bouncing in their curtain beneath them at the meek confirmation, the android offered a hand, only to find a woman many feared to flinch away from it and near enough cower beneath her. It was becoming all the more apparent to Maura that the lack of fondness that Jane showed towards her was not without reason, the human woman clearly unnerved by the smaller woman being on top of her. Moving away as promptly as she could the change in weight – however slight – relieved Jane instantly, and should she had been made of clockwork Maura would have heard the clogs stop turning for the time being. It would only be later that night that they would spin once more, the tanned woman thrown once more by just how different this android felt against her torso compared to the horrific memories of the last.

_He said I would enjoy you, Commander._

"Sorry about that, clearly Tommy didn't clear out the ducts properly."

"Sure I did! It's your dodgy flying that landed Jane down on her ass. You alright?"

Sitting up the eldest in the Rizzoli clan waved her hand, shrugging off the event "Yeah," before turning to her previous occupant with a look that seemed to be tinged with an apology, confirming Maura's previous question with a quieter voice "Yeah, I'm fine. Just uh, call me Jane, alright?"

Settled neatly on the floor, the turbulence having all but stopped the doctor was acutely aware of just how many questions she would have to leave unanswered but chose to express a small, close lipped smile of agreement to keep anything else from going wrong. Human beings were the most complicated of entities, yet the woman beside her was one she definitely wanted to figure out "Yes, Jane."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm still surprised by the amount of people interested in this, so thank you very much for reading, and your reviews! I hope what I write is worth the wait!

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"So, Maura. Tell me more about yourself."

Large strides were followed by short and swift steps as the smaller of the two females tried to keep up with the unsurprisingly determined pace of Jane, Maura wanting to be by the Commander's side as they spoke even if the brunette's height meant she could indulge herself in eye contact. Jane was taking an interest and that was... Well, quite literally a step forward, and the least the cyber-kinetic being could do was give her all the information she requested "That is a very broad question, Jane. Would you like me to start with something as precise as my internal diagnostics, or my coltan endoskeleton? I think it is of interest that my HUD – head up display – is in full colour, unlike many android classes..."

"Beep. I am a robot. Beep I do not compute human talk."

"I do not use that inflection."

Maybe her original question had been a stupid one to ask, given that she knew the fairer haired woman beside her wouldn't give her interesting snippets like the sports teams she liked, or even the books she read, but Jane had asked it anyway out of some kind of _hope_. In her gut she knew it wasn't right or fair to judge the new crew member based on previous experiences but there were just some things that she couldn't forget – no matter how much she tried. Instead the Commander had decided to make herself comfortable with Maura and keep her separate from any other androids in her memory, although her _broad _question had only kept her within the darker territory of Jane's mind.

"I mean, you're a medical bot, right?" Jane tried again.

"Android," Maura corrected "but yes – I am."

"So if you were like me you'd be a doctor?"

"I'm not sure your bedside manner would be adequate enough for you to be a doc-" Maura paused as Jane finally looked down to her, eyes pinched although not quite scowling as the shorter woman realised her mistake "You mean to imply if I were a homosapien. Yes, I would be a doctor" falling silent it appeared as if the android were deliberating something, contemplating her own words as she realised Jane was asking her questions that had never been proposed before "Although if my thoughts were transcended into a human brain I'm not sure if I would be any good with the living. Perhaps I would be a Medical Examiner. I am equipped with the skills to perform autopsies."

"Good to know..."

"I'm glad you think so, Jane."

"Hang on – No, not literally, Maura..." the earlier lack of stability of the ship had clearly taken its toll on Maura, her petite hands instantly hunting for something to cling to, much to Jane's amusement that disguised itself well as disbelief "Don't you deal with the living all the time? I mean, the refugees..."

"Were dying, Jane. I tried to make them feel better, and Ian seemed to think my representation would also comfort them."

"Your represent—_Ohhh_." Jane instantly found it impossible not to admire the curves of the woman accompanying her to her cabin, knowing that if Maura were human Jane would have hated her and the gifts puberty gave her. "It figures, you being built by a man."

"Only in part, Jane. My fabrication and the sculpting on my exterior form were done by a female European designer. I'm a Drobnjaković original."

Stopping so dramatically that Maura almost stumbled by her side once more the Commander of the ship turned to face her colleague, hands flailing in front of her face in faux excitement "Oh my God, is that true? I'm _such_ a fan. Were your eyes done by Sophia Loren?"

Both arms forming a barrier just beneath the breasts that Jane's eyes had momentarily lingered upon, Maura was less than impressed by Jane's remark. "You know that the general consensus is that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit?"

In such a small corridor the silence between them struck Maura harder than the hammers of a piano hitting the strings, all too aware that her response could well be received as an insult. Thankfully as her taller companion mirrored her stance her lips tweaked into a small smile "And you say _my_ bedside manner is bad."

"Well, what I meant to say was..."The surges flooding throughout Maura's system reminded her of the numerous tachycardia cases she had diagnosed in the past, although she knew full well she could not be experiencing the symptom. How strange it was that just an orbit of Jane's occipital spatula made her system mimic an exceeded heart rate. Perhaps she would have to run a preliminary scan later on...

"Forget it," it had taken only a short walk to get from the main deck to Jane's quarters, and the android expected their conversation to be over once they came to the door. Maura was however pleasantly surprised to find that as Jane stepped beyond the border of her voice activated door her questions beckoned for the android to follow in behind her "Doctor Maura. Huh, that doesn't sound right. Don't you have a last name?"

Jane's room was small, although Maura decided that it was a sufficient size given the Commander's needs. Hazel orbs scanned the walls as the pair spoke, taking in the minimal assets within the confines of Jane's personal space. The bed, where Jane had chosen to sit was a single bunk with no real decoration or definition to the covers. It was as basic as the rest of the room; another sliding door to the side that Maura knew held the woman's clothes and boots, a small desk fixed to the wall where she could picture the head of the crew pulling up holograms and learning about their newest contracts – it was clear that Jane was not one to embellish things, except for the wall space by the bed.

"No. I don't suppose I was ever in need of one. Androids are usually titled by number, or acronym such as myself."

Standing by the main door Maura could clearly see prints of the Commander and her crew in more personal situations, along with a man and a woman her internal scanners concluded to be her parents. These were the things that kept Jane sane on the most intense of missions, although Maura could never rationalise or predict that one day she too would have her face pinned to the very same wall.

"Hey, if you walk like a human and talk like a human on my ship you've got to have a last name."

Never exactly the perfect hostess Jane did not offer for Maura to take a seat, the naturally bred human being thankful that putting distance between them could be shrugged off as a natural habit of hers. Even though she had the man-made organism were able to talk without tension Jane's subconscious would not allow her to be perfectly comfortable, the tip of her thumb between her gently gnawing teeth as she tried to 'make nice'. If Maura were 'normal' then Jane assumed she wouldn't judge her the way she had been doing since their introduction, and although her brain would never ever allow her to forget what the android really was perhaps making Maura seem human would resolve some internal conflictions.

That was Jane's logic anyway.

"Well, it would make the most logical sense for me to be Maura Faulkner, or Maura Drobnjaković."

"Maura Drobnj— Might as well introduce you as Maura " the next sounds that left Jane's lips were alien, although not actually a language Maura could identify "And if you weren't doin' it with that doctor guy then you definitely weren't married, so no."

"I was about to suggest that since my documents and papers belong to Captain Korsak-"

Jane looked ready to smack her face into the pillows beside her, shoulders hunching as if ready to gag "Thank you for making my train of thought go from you boinking a Brit to canoodling with Korsak. Now I just feel a bit sick."

Closing the gap between them it was clear to Jane that her medic's automated programming had kicked in, shuffling backwards to vie away from Maura's care-taking advances "Do you need to sit down? Perhaps you're dehydrated. Have you vomited in the last twenty four hours, or perhaps shown symptoms of diarrhea? When was your last bowel movement?"

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" continuing to squirm as the smaller woman's gentle hand checked the temperature of her forehead Jane gave a heavy sigh "Jesus - after this trip I'm sticking myself on an island. Might go crazy a bit slower then..."

"How I wish that somewhere there existed an island for those who are wise and of good will," Maura's words were as soft as the back of her hand as she settled beside her irritable coworker"Albert Einstein."

"Huh, most people wouldn't say I'm wise. You are, though I'm not sure Maura Island would be a good surname or holiday spot."

Maura didn't know where to start with the flaws in Jane's idea "Wise is to imply showing good judgement or the benefit of experience – you would not be standing before me if you had neither, Jane. I in contrast display more intelligence than I do wisdom, proven by the fact that I don't make such inaccurate statements such as yourself. There have been no holiday destinations in _years,_ Jane. Also, if I were to take that as my surname I would prefer Maura _Isles _- derived from the old French word isle, which means island and has become the modern French word île."

"Alright, alright Doctor _Isles, _nice to meet you. I'm Jane Rizzoli."

"Jane means gracious and merciful, which given your reputation does actually suit you well. Well, perhaps not the first part..."

Reclining backwards, more comfortable than she realised, Jane's eyes rolled within their sockets "Do you _have_ to do that?"

"Do what?" Maura's eyes were wide, her posture prim and quite the opposite to that of Jane's who she now looked down on as the banter bounced back and forth between them.

"That! That word thing you do?"

"Etymology?"

"You can't stop, can you?"

The fair-haired woman's next words were the whole hearted truth **"**Not really."

"I don't need to know where my name comes from, I've already heard all that from my mother" Jane was just pleased that Maura – no, that _nobody_ knew her middle name "Faulkner didn't programme you to be good with people, then? Y'know, in the whole conversational sense."

"I can mimic emotions if I have to, I can comfort and soothe..."

"Like a nightlight?"

One well crafted eyebrow raised itself, answering Jane's coy remark without needing to actually address it "Ian and I used to have conversations but they were mostly work was more a case of talking about diagnoses, medical equipment... I don't think we ever... Chatted? Is that the correct term?" a nod of confirmation from the woman beside her spurred Maura on "Sometimes my responses disturb me, as if perhaps I am feeling something. Then I remember that's impossible, given my creation and purpose."

It never occurred to either woman that Jane really _did _need Maura as her nightlight; something to glow with warmth in the corner of the darkness that had a habit of surrounding her. That darkness latched onto the lounging woman's next words, Maura unsure from her tone whether to be encouraged or worried "Bots are capable of big things, Maura. Don't underestimate yourself."

Unable to fully process Jane's words the android retorted in a way that would have caused Ian to cringe once more about making her so truthful "You are deceptively complex. I do not understand you."

"Well, you would if I was a dead body.

"Do you think so?"

"Let's hope we don't find out, yeah?"

"The last thing I would want is for you to die, Jane."

The sincerity from Maura did not make Jane cringe like the android's previous companion, but it did unnerve her . A solid moments silence passed between them until Jane chose to speak, and even then the words failed to come without a pause in-between "That's... Good to know. Uh Maura, why don't you go and check out the medical bay – just in case."

Aware that she had overstayed her welcome, although not aware as to why Maura managed to take the hint as she rose from Jane's bed, waiting for the one word _'open_' to come from the other woman's lips before leaving the Commander alone with a short "I really should check the stock levels, _just in case_."

Watching the petite form sashay away until the moment the metal doors slid past and disrupted her view Jane sighed once more, pressing her back and head down against the mattress as the frustrated breath left her lungs. "No man is an island, entire of itself...Why couldn't she have come with an instruction manual?"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This is kind of a setup chapter, implying the big bad of the story and also the promise of Rizzles (you knew it had to happen eventually!) Thank you for sticking with this, and as always thank you for your reviews, favourites and follows!

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"_I knew you dreamt about me, Jane. We'll be together again soon, I promise. Not long to wait."_

_Lost in a dark wilderness the very words he hisses snarl around her like macabre branches of trees, words suffocating her, stealing her own voice as they restrain her neck, crushing her throat. The silence is the most terrifying of things, in the moments where all she can do is look into eyes that have no soul behind them, cold and ready to kill. _

_Ready to kill her._

_It's a look she's all too familiar with, memorized and trapped within her consciousness. Haunting, his face never leaves her, the feel of his fingers around her wrists gnawing at the back of her brain like a burning itch, a parasite that won't leave her alone. The sweet smell of chloroform lingers inside of her nostrils, her lips cracked and dry. In reality she was the one that got away. His unfinished business, left with scars but still breathing. _

_There's no escaping him here. _

In only two short hours Maura knew everything she had to about the ship, not needing to sleep definitely having its advantages. Developing her own schematics of Sox she was quite sure she could give a guided tour if they ever received visitors, although the thought came with some hesitance and rectification as Maura realised the crew she travelled with, however well meaning, were probably more likely to take hostages than they were to serve tea... Nevertheless her internal blueprints were sure to come in good use one day, (and the petite machine was always one for keeping her skill sets fresh), which was why she continued to pace the corridors, always finishing her path in the exact same place that she started.

Jane's quarters.

"_I want to see them. Hands are so useful, dexterous... Do they still work?"_

_Every time she dares to choke out words and tell him "Good as new" the laser scalpels singe through her flesh once more, creating a new chasm for her blood to flow from like lava erupting from a volcano. It doesn't just seep, it pours. And there is nothing Jane can do about it._

"Jane?" if Maura were an animal her ears would have pricked up, alerted by sounds that a human ear would fail to pick up on. If Frankie or Frost were standing in the same spot they would not hear the distressed moans of their superior from the room behind them, but Maura did. Maura heard everything, and although she knew better than to invade Jane's personal space it was within the perimeters of her programming to soothe and heal the crew and from her analysis of the audio she decided Jane most definitely needed soothing.

"_I haven't finished what I started with you. My friend is out there. Enjoy him, because he'll enjoy you."_

Turning on her heels the buxom bot placed herself in front of the doorway, activating her voice manipulation software to steal Jane's voice and allow her access to the room beyond. A short, gravelly snap of 'Jane Rizzoli' confirmed her status and only seconds passed until Maura was able to check on her patient, although the sight was not something she expected to affect her quite as much as it did.

"_Jane."_

Apart from tousled hair about her head like a web thanks to evident tossing and turning Maura had never seen someone look so soft while experiencing such clear turmoil. Seeing the dearest of children weep was the closest comparison the faux female could make as she laid her eyes upon the whimpering woman, manufactured tear ducts causing unsalted drops to fall silently at the sight in the corner of the room. All at once she knew what the freshly widowed mother's of those weeping children had experienced; their sorrow, their anguish, their _pain_. In her years of existence Maura had longed to feel happiness, to experience joy, and everything else she envied the evolved creatures around her. It was certainly a shock to the system that _this_ was what made her feel so close to being human.

"Jane."

Melting in with the shadows Maura's footsteps make no sound as she carefully steps forward, managing to sit herself on the edge of the frightful occupier's bed without so much as a creek. Still Jane cowers, and the android is aware that something impossible is happening inside of her. Her heart, made more for decoration than for practicality, is aching.

_She's never been so scared in her life, stuck beneath him, crudely caressed as the scalpel lingers by her throat. Waiting patiently for another release "Oh, its okay baby. Wake up, baby..."_

Useless breath catches inside of the watching woman's throat as Jane cries aloud, clearly terrified with whatever she see's behind her tightly locked eyelids, and Maura knows she cannot let the pain continue. Carefully she chooses to wake her believed to be fearless Commander, a light touch to her cheek just as soft as her whispered voice "Jane, its okay. Wake up, Jane..."

Suddenly the gentlest of movements places Maura back inside of a warzone, her petite form flung backwards before a shot vaporises a patch of her suit at the left shoulder, mechanics clean to see beneath as synthetic flesh follows. In the darkness she knows her attacker's eyes are wild, the breathing from the corner as ragged as a beast protecting its den, and Maura doesn't have to initiate her electrocardiogram measures to know that Jane's heart rate is off the scale "Perhaps I should have been quicker to predict the fight or flight would end in this result."

"Maura?!" even as the emergency lighting snaps on like floodlights and the wailing conflict siren follows Jane does not blink, bolt upright in her bed with the previously concealed energy weapon tight within her grasp "What are you—I COULD HAVE KILLED YOU!"

"Not with a shot like that. I think your weapon needs recalibration, especially if you were aiming for my head," pushing the singed strands of hair with her working hand Maura's nose wrinkles as she inspects the damage "I'll need to rewire the top section, and replace a motor. The skin grafting may well take a few days, but if I get the collagen scaffold sorted tonight then the Keratinocyte spray shouldn't take too long to adhere."

"You sure sound like I shot you in the brain," shoving her gun back beneath the pillow Jane's long limbs helped her leap to the floored android's side, holding in a breath at the stench of burning flesh "You're really okay? 'Cos that doesn't look okay, Maura."

"Nah, I'd say that looks like you shot her in the shoulder," doors having been opened since the gunshot Frankie had no problem hurtling in with a gun of his own, stopping with a sighed mixture of relief and annoyance to see his sister unharmed "Hey Frost, you can shut down the alarms! Jane got trigger happy!"

"Yeah, ha-fuckin'-ha. Let's all laugh at Jane gettin' spooked."

"I thought it was just guys that fired early?" entering the room with a wrench in his hand Tommy merely shrugged off his older sibling's scowl "Hey, you gave me permission."

"Really you shouldn't be laughing at your sister right now. My wound is clearly the result of her post traumatmmff!"

"So you don't just shoot her, you'gotta gag her too? Y'know this is why you never got a boyfriend in school, Jane."

"What'cha doin', makin' jokes at a time like this? Bot or not we've got an injured crew member that needs fixing up!" beneath Jane's hand Maura kept her lips tightly closed, aware that Korsak was now speaking for her with the look in his eyes. Maybe Jane's brothers didn't know about the night terrors but the Captain did, his fatherly tone of voice taking a hold on the situation "Frankie, Tommy – give Maura a hand up."

"Only you would damage the doctor, Jane"

"Shut up, it wasn't like I meant to! I thought she was-" shutting off her own words as quickly as she had Maura's Jane rose to her feet, looking to her victim as Frankie and Tommy stepped aside "Can I do anything to help?"

"I think you've done enough."

"Tommy, what did I just say to you?" shoving her youngest brother away Jane's stubborn streak kicked in, swiftly accompanied by a sense of guilt "At least let me pass you some tools, Maura. I've got to do something since I've left you looking like Swiss cheese."

"Swiss cheese typically has more holes; a donut might be a better analogy. But if it will make you feel better you're welcome to accompany me infirmary.

"Yeah, it would" accompanying Maura through the door Jane only turned back to instruct her crew members and more poignantly her brothers "I want you guys out of here by the time Doctor Donut and I are done fixin' her up, you got me?"

"Just don't go tryin' to balance her out!" Frankie's final words echoed down the corridor as the two women walked side by side, Maura more worried about her companion than the damage to herself. Allowing herself quick sideways glances she observed as Jane sighed and intermittently chewed at her bottom lip, the Commander's nerves quite clear. If Jane was concerned by the smaller woman's visible damage she had nothing to worry about – it was what was internal that troubled Maura, something that could not be repaired so easily, especially when it was not something she could even begin to comprehend.

Keeping quiet until inside of her new found haven Maura sat herself in the middle of the medial bay, deciding to ignore the questions brewing inside and instead make good use of her wound – an excuse to keep both herself and Jane both distracted and occupied "I've kept all my maintenance tools in that left hand locker, if you wouldn't mind getting them for me. You'll want the small black bag and one of the silver canisters."

"One of? What were you expecting to be shot a lot more?" following the other woman's instructions Jane found what she needed, trying to ignore how dangerous the rest of the equipment inside looked. Considering it was all needed for repair work it looked as if it was all more suited to taking Maura apart rather than stitching her back together.

"Accidents happen, Jane" waiting patiently Maura remained seated until the darker haired female was at her side before lifting herself from the stool, speaking her next words without so much as a flutter of her eyelids "Unzip me."

"Whu—_Why_?"

"This accident means I need full access to my arm and shoulder, and I can't use this hand to unzip the suit myself as someone damaged my nervous system..."

"Alright, I get your point" standing behind the android Jane took due care and attention as her fingers eased the zip down to the small of Maura's back, not wanting to do any more damage than she'd already managed. That same caution stayed as she realised she was also needed to help peel the fabric away from the doctor's skin, trying to look elsewhere and focus on anything else inside of the room until she realised that even robot breasts needed something to help them fight against gravity.

"Thank you," a small smile crept across the injured party's lips as she and Jane sat in unison, very aware of the flush to her superior's cheeks and neck thanks to her undressed state. Jane Rizzoli was full of surprises, and that was something that Maura was starting to appreciate "I suppose we're even now, what with your bare legs."

With the shooting happening so quickly Jane had failed to even noticed that she was still in her what she chose to wear to bed; a simple choice of a white tank top and grey shorts. Slender, tanned legs that shot out beneath them were now bent, heels of her feet on the edge of the stool so that her chin could rest against her knees as she watched Maura start her procedure "Huh? Oh yeah. I was uh- looking at your shoulder. I hadn't noticed."

"Of course not," the smile was back and at risk of being a permanent feature, something that Maura presumed to look very odd given what she was about to do to herself "I need the tweezers, and the blowtorch."

"Blowtorch?!"

"To solder the wires back together, Jane."

"Uh yeah, right. Of course. Can you tell Tommy's the mechanic in the family?" A small laugh slipped free before a stifled yawn took a hold "So, how long can a person go without sleeping?"

"Hallucinations begin by day four," eyes on the gap in her shoulder Maura was perfectly unfazed as she answered whilst teasing a section of wires apart, picking out fragments of metal and concluding that the injury was not as bad as she first perceived "followed by slurred speech, short attention span... And death."

"Huh. Guess I'll continue trying to sleep then. Hey, Maura? How are you planning to do that one handed?"

"I'm not, I'm going to borrow yours" returning the small blowtorch into Jane's wary palm the doctor used the tweezers to pick a small cog shaped piece from the bag on the table "I'm going to put this in place, and I need you to solder the ends of the wires onto it. Your shot fragmented the last one; it's just a simple replacement."

"I can't do that; I'm really sorry Maura but I-"

"I _really_ like my arm, Jane."

"I'd be _burning_ you."

Again the incomprehensible feeling struck Maura, her features softening with a great tenderness as she realised Jane's confusion "You'd be burning metal, Jane. You won't hurt me, you _didn't _hurt me. Your concern is sweet but I'll be okay. I promise."

"Right... Robot..."

"Android."

"Sorry, _android._ Okay. Put it in," wincing as she watched the metal disappear inside of Maura's shoulder Jane silently urged herself to move as she inched the blowtorch close to the opening, dark eyes searching the other woman's for approval – something she was instantly granted "So just round the edges, right?"

"Just follow the line around the cog... That's it... Jane, I'd feel much better if your eyes were open..."

"Shit, right, sorry."

"There, see. That wasn't so hard, was it?" removing the tweezers from her arm the more scantily clad of the two continued her work, flicking off the lid of the canister with her thumb before giving it a hearty shake "the Keratinocyte should fix the whole sufficiently enough so I won't need any help with stitches. You can relax now."

"You mean that's it?"

"Well, no. The spray takes some hours to graft properly, and will need a few more coats. It will take roughly the same amount of time for my system to accept the new chip and for my arm to regain mobility, but the hard work is done."

Jane's previous lip biting had been replaced by choosing to chew at the tip of her thumb between words "Are all rob—Androids... Are you all so easy to fix?"

"When it comes to surface wounds like this? Yes, I suppose so. The more integral damage would need to be to the central points of our system, such as the head," Maura's working hand moved to gesture where exactly she meant "or the centre of the chest. I could be as injured as proficiently as a human on any part of my body, just with much more force."

"And what about humans? I mean, if I lost a limb... Could you replace it with one of yours?"

Something told Maura that Jane was not just making small talk, and that it could not be a mere coincidence that Jane wanted to know how robotic beings could be fixed, or more precisely _taken apart_ so soon after sharing her dislike for them – all of them it seemed, apart from Maura.

"It would depend on the injury you sustained, your blood loss, and whether your tendons can be fused to the larger wiring of a cybernetic implant. In reality the practice has been in use for years, but is not common because of the expense. The Alliance would rather employ a new human in the ranks than spend money replacing parts of an old soldier."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," swinging her legs off the stool before standing and showing a distinct height difference between herself and Maura it was clear Jane had heard all she wanted, or perhaps needed to know "Listen, I'm sorry about the whole'er..."

"Shooting me, thing?"

"Yeah. Thanks though, for this."

"I couldn't have done it without you," Maura's restraint failed her as she watched Jane walk to the door, unable to stop herself from calling for her Commander's attention "Jane."

"Yeah?"

"I think the phrase is 'risking life and limb'? Well you should know that I would, for you."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry that it's been a while! I knew what I wanted from this chapter, but really struggled to write it in any more depth than there is here. I don't actually think it needs anything added and it does what its supposed to, but I still want to apologise for the shortness!

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"Figured I'd find you here," watching with caution as the woman's foot hurtled towards the bag Korsak stepped to the side as he stopped in the gym, catching the battered sack just short of it winding his protruding belly "We need to talk about this, Jane."

"What's to talk about?" using the back of her glove to wipe the sweat that glistened on her brow Jane's nonchalant tone left much to be desired "Maura's gunna be fine."

"Did you ever think that might be because she's a robot?"

"Android" Jane countered, before letting her right hand smack into the centre of the bag, both the word and action almost knocking the grey haired man for six, though he chose to let them slide.

"What if you shot one of your brother's, huh? Frost, even me?"

"Then we'd have a decent doctor to look after you," another punch, this time leading into a rhythm of two more "Anyway, it wouldn't happen. You're not dumb enough to bust into my room in the dead of night."

"From what I gather Maura didn't just bust in," steadying the bag, the old man dared to poke his head around the side, his face soft with concern "She was worried about you, just like I'm worried about you. When did they start up again?"

Jane's silence spoke volumes.

"I can't help if you don't talk to me, kid. Was it my fault? Bringing Maura here?"

"Don't be stupid, Korsak."

"That means you've been havin'em before this trip..." Stepping out to his protégés side, Korsak waiting until Jane lifted her eyes from the floor before trying to reassure her "We put that son of a bitch behind bars, Jane. He's not comin' back."

"Yeah? Try tellin' my brain that."

"Tryin' to tell your brain anything would be like drawin' blood from a stone."

"Gee, thanks!"

"Just speakin' the truth!" the chuckle vibrated from Jane's father figure, breaking the tension for a mere moment before Korsak took in a deep breath and spoke of what was truly on his mind "Hey, about hiring Maura? She might not be the cause of your terrors but I should have given you a heads up."

Jane's gaze was back to the mats beneath her feet, her voice quiet and almost solemn in nature "it's okay."

"No, it's not. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too, Korsak. I'm sorry I let that bastard break me."

As Jane's voice broke the old man felt his heart do the same. Was this really what she thought of herself? Instinctively and without hesitation his hands tore away the velcro of the brunette's boxing gloves, stripping them any until he was able to clutch gently at the scarred skin beneath. "You listen to me. He didn't break you. No one can break Jane Rizzoli unless you let'em. It's a choice."

Looking into eyes full of such sincerity it took all of Jane's resilience not to burst into tears, her emotions instead compiling into a soft and thankful smile. He'd seen the best of her and the worst of her and yet Vince Korsak would never stop supporting her, something Jane had no words for. Thankfully he also knew her well enough to move on, giving both her hands an encouraging squeeze before stepping back behind the bag.

"We've got another day's flight until we reach the source, I'm gunna make some calls, put your mind at rest."

"Oh, no Korsak. You don't have to-"

"Yeah, I do. Now go back to givin' that bag some hell and be sure to picture that scumbag's face."

As if Jane was able to picture anything else...

Flexing each fresh finger in turn the putrid scent of singed flesh did nothing to quell his sadistic smirk, the scars and pocks down the side of his face making it appear more like the snarl of a rabid animal. This was the first rung on the ladder of revenge and it felt _enticingly _good.

"The procedure was a success, Sir. You may want to give yourself time to heal properly though, before you try anything more strenuous."

"Oh, I'll give it time. Just enough time..." tapping each Coltan digit on the surgical table the disfigured man watched his new hands with great interest and a sinister kind of pride until the darkness of his eyes came to rest on his accomplice and the stumps of his arms that now ended just above each wrist "Don't think your sacrifice will go without reward, Mason."

"I expect nothing in return, Sir. Knowing that you'll be able to hunt _her _again satisfies my protocols."

"Ah yes. Well until she's within my grasp again mine won't be satisfied," clenching both of his new affixations around air roughly the width of a neck he had dreamt about during the nights inside his cell the snarl was renewed "Have Lola fetch me a scalpel. I want my technique to be perfect for when we meet again."

"Say that again?"

Knuckles turning white through tension Jane feared that if she let go of her chair she may fall through it, Korsak's news flooding her senses, wiping everything until her vision blurred and her hearing began to crackle.

_Charles Hoyt escaped custody._

"I got in touch with Agent Dean; turns out he was gunna come and find you when we got back to the Citadel. Someone helped Hoyt get out of prison two nights ago."

_Charles Hoyt escaped custody._

"You're safe though, Janie. I'm not gunna let that monster touch you, do you understand me?"

Jane could feel her Captain's hand on her shoulder, although she refused to open her eyes. If she had the strength and felt secure enough to loosen her grasp she would have buried her head in her hands – anything to make this all go away.

"I made sure he couldn't touch me, Korsak. That won't stop the others helping him."

_Charles Hoyt escaped custody._

_Charles Hoyt is coming to kill me._


End file.
